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03 Aug 2015 10:51:09am

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The author is correct in many ways. Science and religion do not have to be at war with each other. The problem arises when religious authorities question science, as they do all too often. Fundamentalists contribute a great deal to the destruction of religion via their obstinate denial of science. On the other hand Catholics are now allowed to even embrace evolution, the Pope has said so. Catholicism has a great tradition of embracing scientific inquiry, though it has some shameful episodes in its past too. Burning Bruno alive was a low point. However, the real reason science and religion are often at war is that religion is of no value to science. The 2006 survey of American Academy of Scientists found that 93% were atheists. Given that most of them would have been indoctrinated with a God of some kind in childhood, this is an incredibly large percentage. Intelligent, educated people feel empowered to deal with the problems that come their way. Believing in Gods and life after death are just examples of false hope like becoming rich through gambling, i.e. disempowering. This is not a foundation for a good life.